Novel roadway



July 13, 1965 H. LECHNER NOVEL ROADWAY Filed Oct. 5, 1962 INVENTOR H AN S L E CH NER WM 68M;

ATTORNEYS Unitcd States Patent 3,194,128 NOVEL ROADWAY Hans Leclmer, R.D., Skillman, NJ. Filed Oct. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 228,551 2 Claims. (Cl. 94-15) This invention relates to a novel highway having multiple lanes of traflic separated by a median barrier with space for safely parking disabled vehicles. The invention further relates to a novel median barrier for highways which prevents vehicles from crossing the median into the oncoming traffic while providing space for parking disabled vehicles.

Modern highways consist of two groups of substantially parallel multiple lanes of traffic going in opposite directions which are separated by a narrow median having a width of approximately 10 to 15 feet. The median not only separates the opposite flows of traffic but also provides a much needed space for parking disabled vehicles awaiting assistance, thereby avoiding blocking one or more lanes of traffic and avoiding the danger of other, vehicles colliding with the disabled vehicle. However, these unprotected medians have been found to have the disadvantage that vehicles out of control cross over the unprotected median into the oncoming trafiic causing fatal head-on collisions. One solution to prevent these headon collisions has been to erect solid, continuous barriers in the median to prevent vehicles from crossing the median. The said barriers, however, eliminate the much needed space for parking disabled vehicles and therefore increase the danger of other vehicles colliding with the disabled vehicle left in the traffic lanes and induce traiiic tieups by having the disabled vehicle block one or more lanes of traffic.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel highway having multiple lanes of trafiic separated by a median barrier which provides space for parking disabled vehicles.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel highway median barrier which prevents vehicles from crossing the median while providing space for parking disabled vehicles.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious from the following detailed description.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the novel highway of the invention which is comprised of two multiple lanes 1 and 2 for traflic traveling in opposite directions, a median 3 separating the two multiple lanes of traflic and a median barrier consisting of two substantially parallel rows of intermittent barriers 4 and 5 with spaces 40 and 5a between adjacent members of each intermittent barrier row, said spaces being large enough to accommodate a vehicle therein for parking on the median 3, the intermittent barrier being staggered so that the spaces between the aligned sections 4 of the intermittent barrier of one row are opposite aligned sections 5 of the intermittent barriers in the other row. The distance 8 between any two adjacent members 4 and 5 of the two rows of barriers may be just enough to accommodate the width of a car, or may be less than the width of a car. Alternate barrier members 4 and 5 in the same row may, if desired, be provided with an inwardly directed angular flange 6 or 7 at the oncoming traflic end to prevent vehicles from passing between the two rows of intermittent barriers and thence into the trafiic going in the opposite direction.

The distance 9 between one row of intermittent barriers and the opposite edge of median 3 may vary, but it should be at least wide enough to accommodate the width of a disabled car. The length 10 of the spaces 4a 3,194,128 Patented July 13, 1965 I and 5a between adjacent ends of alignedbarrier members 4 or 5 can vary from the average length of a car to any desire-d length, but it is advantageously long enough to provide a space for parking four vehicles therein, which would be required in the event of a collision between two cars, i.e., both damaged cars, a police car and a wrecker.

The intermittent barriers may be of any of the usual types now being used for highways, such as spaced wood or concrete posts connected with steel cables or iron bars, steel fences of various designs, solid concrete, concrete section, wire, etc.; the style and materials are not critical.

Barrier sections 4 and 5 may, if desired, be provided on the trailic side with resilient attachments, such as rubber strips or pads, springs or spring cushions and the like, to cause rebound of a vehicle accidentally striking the traflic side of the barrier section. To prevent vehicles traveling alongside the median from easing too close to the barrier sections, the edges of the median may also be provided with customary raised lips to deflect the left front wheel of the vehicle.

The novel median barrier of the invention may be easily added to existing modern highways and bridges to make them safer by preventing vehicles from crossing over the median into the oncoming traflic and causing fatal head on collisions while retaining the safety feature of providing parking space for disabled vehicles in the median out of the stream of traffic. Removing disabled vehicles from the stream of traffic avoids the tie-up of one of the multiple lanes of traflic and removes the danger -of a disabled vehicle being struck from behind by vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed.

For the convenience of police patrol cars and official cars of the particular highway authority, the novel median barrier arrangement according to the present invention may be interrupted at suitable intervals to provide a turnaround gap 11, or the angular flange may be omitted from both overlapping barrier sections, as at point 12 in the drawing.

Various modifications of the median barrier and the highway of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A highway median barrier for separating multiple lanes of traffic going in opposite directions and for providing space for parking disabled vehicles, which comprises a median strip between adjacent lanes carrying opposing tratfic, said median strip having mounted thereon two substantially parallel rows of intermittent bar-riers with spaces between the intermittent barriers, said spaces being large enough to accommodate at least one vehicle therein for parking between adjacent aligned sections of said intermittent barriers, the intermittent barriers of the two rows being staggered so that the spaces between the intermittent barriers of one row are opposite intermittent barriers in the other row.

2. A highway median barrier for separating multiple lanes of trafiic going in opposite directions and for providing space for parking disabled vehicles, which comprises a median strip between adjacent lanes carrying opposite traflic, said median strip having mounted thereon two substantially parallel rows of intermittent barriers with spaces between the intermittent barriers, said spaces being large enough to accommodate at least one vehicle therein for parking between adjacent aligned sections of said intermittent barriers, the intermittent barriers of the two rows being staggered so that the spaces between the intermittent barriers of one row are opposite inter mittentbarriers in the other row, and an inward angula-r flange at the oncoming traffic end of alternate aligned intermittent barrier sections to prevent vehicles from passing through the two rows of intermittent barriers.

FOREIGN PATENTS 2/48 France. 6/60 France.

4 OTHER REFERENCES A Policy on Arterial Highways in Urban Areas, by American Association of State Highway Officials, copyright 1957, pages 390, 391, 398 and 399 and 400.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. MACKENOFF, Examiner. 

1. A HIGHWAY MEDIAN BARRIER FOR SEPARATING MULTIPLE LANES OF TRAFFIC GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND FOR PROVIDING SPACE FOR PARKING DISABLED VEHICLES, WHICH COMPRISES A MEDIAN STRIP BETWEEN ADJACENT LANES CARRYING OPPOSING TRAFFIC, SAID MEDIAN STRIP HAVING MOUNTED THEREON TWO SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ROWS OF INTERMITTENT BARRIERS WITH SPACE BETWEEN THE INTERMITTENT BARRIERS, SAID SPACES BEING LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE 